Apparatus for the concentration of ores



APPLICAIION FILED NUV. I8. 3916- Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Inventor ess, of the type UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLEURY JAMES LYSTER, 0F BROKEN HILL, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA,

ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AMERICAN CORPORATION.

MINERALS SEPARATION NORTH APPARATUS FOR THE CONCENTRATION OF ORES.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

5-. Application filed November 15, 1916. Serial No. 132,058.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I Fneunr JAMES Lrs'rnn, a, subject of the king ofEngland, residing at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for theConcentration of ()res, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates the concentration of ores, and particularly toapparatus for carrying out the trot flotation process in which the oreis finely ground and mixed with water to which is added a smallproportion of a mineral-frothing agent, the mixture thereupon being subjected to aeration and agitation for the formation of a froth of theparticles of the ore, as is described for example in the prior patentsNo. 835,120, November 6, 1906, to Sulman at al.,' No. 962,678, June 28,1910, to Sulman et al.; and No. 1,064,723, June 17, 1913, to Greentoapparatus for to apparatus for carrying out such a procin which air isadmitted beneath the surface of the liquid in the separating box, as isdescribed for example in the prior patents: No. 953,746, April 5, 1910,to Hoover and No. 1,155,815, October 5, 1915, to Higgins 06 (11. It isspecially applicable to apparatus in which a centrifugal pump isemployed for aerating the pulp, as is described for example in the prioratent No. 1,203,372, October 31, 1916, to Eyster. In such an apparatus anumber of flotation vessels and centrifugal pumps are arranged in seriesso that each centrifugal.

pump withdraws the material from the b'ottom of one vessel, agitates itand delivers it into-the next flotation vessel. The centrifugal pumpsact as agitators or mi rers, and means are provided, such as an inletpipe, for feeding in the requisite amount of mmeral-frothing agent, aswell as the requisite amount of air into a suctionpipe comm'unicatingwith each pump. It has been usual to control the delivery of the pump byadjusting the admissionof air to it.

In practice the plant is'set to accommodate a certain uniform flow ofmaterial, but difficulty 'is often experienced with slight variations inthe flow between two vessels or boxes, thereby necessitating constantadmetalli ferous justment and regulation to maintain a constunt level inthe said. vessels or boxes.

It is an object of the resent invention to control automatically t edelivery of the pump by controlling automatically the uantity of airadmitted to it, according to 40 t e level of the liquid in the flotationvessel. Thus any slight variation in the flow between any two vesselsmay be adjusted in the running of the plant itself, and the liquid inthe various vessels maintained at 05 a constant level.

It has previously been proposed to control the level of the liquid in aflotation vessel by a float in the said vessel arranged to operate avalve controlling the outflow of liquid therefrom.

I he illustrated adaptation of the present invention comprises a floatarranged in the, i said separating vessel, a cock on the air intake pipeof the apparatus and an operative 76 connection between said float andcock, so that the air supplied is reduced as the level of liquid in theseparating vessel falls.

One adaptation ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, which 80 shows an elevation of asingle concentratin unit foremployment in a series plant sue as described in the aforesaid priorpatent No. 1,203,372. In this practice of the in vention, a. number ofseparating boxes as A, and centrifugal pumps, such as are arranged inseries, each centrifugal pump drawing material from the bottom of onebox, agitating it and delivering it to the next succeeding box. Eachpump' has an no air intake pipe C, to which also mineralfrothing a cutis supplied through an oil pipe D. lach flotation vessel is providedwith a superimposed chamber E connected with it by the orifice F. Withinthe said chamber is accommodated a float G of wood. This float carriesat its upper end a threaded. rod H, on which are two nuts J J. Arran edbetween the nuts is a lever K operativ p5 connected to the air cock K onthe air intake pipe 0 of the pump B. Springs L L are arraifged to bearon the said nuts J J and on the end of the lever K arranged betweenthem. A clip M is also preferably arranged to bear on the sides 0 thenuts J J remote from the springs.

The operation of the apparatus is asfollowsz-As the level of the liquidin the such 86 separating box A fluctuates, the float G rises and fallswithin the superimposed chamber E, and thereby opens or closes the aircock K according tothe level of the material in the separating box A,that is, as the level of the material falls the admission of air isreduced, thereby allowin the um to pass a larger quantity of liquid anma e up the deficiency in the flotation box.

Various other adaptations of the invention may be devised within'thes'pirit, principles and scope of the )following claims.

, What I claim as in invention and desire to serure by Letters atom: is

1. A froth-flotation ore-concentrating apparatus comprising a separatingvessel, a pulpngitating-and-aerating pump adapted in draw in air andintroduce it into the pulp and deliver the aerated pulp to theseparating vessel, a float in the separating vessel, and meanseontrolling the admission of air to the pump and controlled by the floatto increase the feed of air to the pump as the liquid level rises in theseparating vessel.

2. In a froth flotation ore-concentrating apparatus, a froth separatingvessel, 8, ulpag tatlng-andmerating pump ada be to draw in air andintroduce it into t e pulp and deliver the aerated pulp to thefrothseparating vessel, and means automatically responsive to the levelof the pulp in said vessel for adjusting the admission of air to saidpump and thereb controlling the amount of ulp delivered y said pump.

3. In a roth-fiotation ore-concentrating apparatus, a froth-separatingvessel, a'centrifugal pump delivering agitated *and aerated pulp to thefroth-separating vessel, and means automatically responsive to the levelof the pulp in said vessel for adjusting the admission of air to saidpum and there controlling the amount of pu p deliverm by said pump.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FLEURY JAMES LYSTER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR Gone (Jonmsox, FLORENCE Mnx'rnom.

